Cleaning Headlamps

[Goose]

What is a fair price to clean frosted headlamps? Have not done it before but have a customer that has a pair that are really fogged up. The kit is $20.00 from 3M. Do I charge for the kit or a set price for the procedure? The kit is supposed to do one car but after cleaning these I think I can get 2 or three cleanings with the material supplied.

[ricmorin]

We are charging .75 at our regular rate plus materials. We are using the 6 step 3M system and charge for the discs and polish. I get nearly all the headlights done in this time frame. Some of the clear contoured ones take a bit longer.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... Headlight/

We tried the smaller kits and found them not to be on par with this kit. The larger kit has the 500, 800, 1000 wet and 3000 wet discs, then a plastic cleaner, then a plastic polish. Comes out great. We now buy replacement discs in bulk. We charge out 2 500 discs, 2 800 discs, 1 1000 disc and 1 3000 disc, then a small amount of each liquid. We built a canned job in Manager for this.

[brianp87]

I use the 3m kit and get .5 plus materials so like 65 $

[steven kiser]

i use the 3m kit as well and get 100 bucks. i also clear coat after i'm done. if you don't clear coat and decide to try it don't panic when it fogs over when sprayed. the first time i clear coated i almost cried when i first sprayed it and saw what happened.

[Tim Martin]

I got a good shop close by here that does them for $49.95. So I am not about to start cleaning headlights. They do a good job too. I had mine on my car done there.

[liljoe]

I get around $45.00 per light. I keep an old light I got out the junk yard that was real bad foggy and cleaned half of it and use it for a sales demo unit. Works great....

[ricmorin]

I get around $45.00 per light. I keep an old light I got out the junk yard that was real bad foggy and cleaned half of it and use it for a sales demo unit. Works great....

haha....same here!!

[steven kiser]

I got a good shop close by here that does them for $49.95. So I am not about to start cleaning headlights. They do a good job too. I had mine on my car done there.

i'm kind of a shop owner that wants to do all. if a shop down the street is doing them for 49.95 what's stopping me from doing the same thing. now this is just a personal thing with me and i'm not in any way dictating how other owners should run their shops or dissing those who differ in their views. i will do anything to keep my customers in my shop. one of your regular customer goes there to have the head lamp polished, the shop owner notices that a tire is low and offers to repair it while they do the headlamps. even the most loyal customer will say yes. now let's say that a stud snaps coming off or the customer can't find the key. ok, the customer finds the key loose in the trunk so that's solved. as far as the stud goes the other shop points out that it snapped coming off not on so it was a good thing that it happened now instead of when they were trying to change a flat. now even if the shop owner tells your customer it could have happened to anyone and it wasn't your fault the customer may now have a little flicker of doubt about your shop from that point on. it can and will happen.

[nickscarcare]

I think this is funny, because I was just ordering the 3M big kit. I have used it before at another shop I worked at and it works well. I never thought about clear coating them when I was done, may have to try that on a relatives vehicle!! I was thinking about the .75 hour to do it, I know at the other shop they charged and hour which was $85, that was the service all included. I was trying to decide if it is worth charging for the material also, or just include it all in there. I have tried the small kits and ya sometimes they don't work as well. It is nice to have the big kit so you have the supply of sanding discs and polishing. I have been checking and I can clean both headlights for less than the price to replace one capsule. I have not seen long term, but have seen the same vehicle back after a year or so and the headlights still looked good. I'm sure at some point they will discolor again. Hope this helps brighten your day! LOL

[brianp87]

Ive had to redo some a year or 2 later. but they bake here

[Rich]

We just do the time adnd materials things here. But this repair the customer can "see". You can repair an O2 and the customer see's and engine light gone. You clean up the headlamps and the first night you are the hero.

[Goose]

Thanks for all the great input. I agree with Steven. Never give them a reason to go to another shop. Never, never, never. Did I say never?Sounds like $75.00 including the materials is about the going rate. I just used the kit and the lights turned out great. Only took about 20 to 30 minutes. This is something that a shop helper could be trained to do and will generate extra profits for the shop and we all like extra profit.

[fortknoxx]

you could make it $5 more, and offer $5 off if included with another service.

[nickscarcare]

So if you have to redo them after a year or so do you cover that under a warranty or is it another charge?

[liljoe]

I figure if they last a year, that is a decent deal for the customer. My wifes Dodge Avenger had lights that were almost white from being so fogged, I did them about a year and a half ago and they are still looking fairly decent, not like when I fist did them, but WAY better then before I did them....

[brianp87]

Nah no warranty its not like you can really prevent it. Especially in arizona like I am.

[steven kiser]

a little tip here. i charge a flat rate but, and it's a big but, if the lamp (some applications) has to be removed for the service i make it clear that there may be an additional charge. some come out with two screws or cleats while others are a bear to remove. i've also found that with the 3m kit if you follow the instructions to the letter the lamps last a lot longer than the ones that aren't. i did the ones on my voyager with the kit and clear coated them three years ago and they still look great. i'll repeat myself here, if you haven't used clear coat and do, don't flip out like i did when the lens fogs over. it will until the clear coat dries.

[Goose]

If your wife's headlights fog after a year tell her to stop following the car in front so close!

[wbuxton]

I figure if they last a year, that is a decent deal for the customer. My wifes Dodge Avenger had lights that were almost white from being so fogged, I did them about a year and a half ago and they are still looking fairly decent, not like when I fist did them, but WAY better then before I did them....

Year and a half, thats the last time I changed my wifes oil. I do it every 2 years if it needs it or not.

[Pauls Automotive]

If I talked about polishing my wife's headlights I would get slapped.....